Donna

5

“YURI, WE'VE BEEN OVER THIS,” I sigh for the hundredth time. He's not so happy with my... relationship with Roksana.

“Run it back to me once more,” His gray eyes turn into fiery slits.

“I can't grasp how f*****g the woman who's men is gunning us down is beneficial.”

I spin on my leather chair childishly, before settling in front of him, as he glares at me from the other side of desk.

“That is why I am the boss; you don't have to understand why I do what I do. You just have to do what I tell you to do.”

This sends Yuri into an offended frenzy, which I watch with disinterest. Honestly, I don't understand why he's so f*****g sensitive.

I've shot him in the ass for the hell of it, and he was moderately okay with that. Throw a woman in the mix? This b***h feels abandoned.

The f**k?

“Really? I'm your best friend! You will ditch me over a woman.”

I roll my ice eyes, before fixing them on him.

“Yuri, you are my best friend. You are also my employee. If you think I won't shoot you, you suck at being a best friend.”

He glowers at me harshly, balling his fists. I quirk an eyebrow at them, hoping I won't have to kill my best friend.

C'mon God. I'm not great, but I'm not doing the best friend thing again, so fix him please.

“See! She is poisoning you—”

Enough.

“This is not about her,” I glare at him, showing him how serious I was.

“This is about the chain of command. You are over everyone, but I am over you. Don't question me, Yuri. Best friend aside, I'll put a hole in you and you know it.”

He nods, his jaw clenched. “Is that all?”

“No. Originally, I came over here to tell you our warehouse got gunned down.”

“Oh, so that was the important thing you never told me because you were being a sensitive son of a woman I'm scared of.”

He smirks at me, making me make a face at him. He knows I'm scared of his mother and just tickles him f*****g pink. That's why shot his sensitive ass last time.

“Yeah.”

“Who is it? Bananno? Vitale?”

“Genovese. Tore our s**t to shreds.”

Clenching my jaw, I rub my hand over my stubble.

“Hit them back. Minimum, no innocent causalities, including employees that are not armed.”

“Where?”

I close my eyes, biting my lip. There's no way to take down a casino without causalities. It's just impossible. One hit? Sure. But not a takedown.

“Hit one of their warehouses.”

“Which one?”

“The one on George, but make sure she isn't in there.”

Yuri looks like he wants my head on a spike.

“What?”

“Do what I said. I am holding you personally accountable for her life. If she dies, so do you.”

I GO TO HER CASINO, where I'm fairly sure she's at. However, when I go up to her VIP room, she's not there.

A small smirk takes over me.

Game on, Roksana.

I leave the room, walking down the velvet stairs, approaching the guard at the bottom of the stairs.

“Where is she?”

He quirks a brow, saying nothing. I observed him carefully as he draws something from his pocket.

Slowly, his hand stretched out, a small black phone in his hand.

Nodding at him, I take the burner to the alley behind the casino.

Pressing the call button I wait.

“We are not on good terms, caro.” She drawls over the line.

I smirk, leaning against the brick wall, blade falling intricately between my fingers.

“Why is that Roksana?”

“You know why.”

I smile at the air, imagining her expression. Most likely she'd be pouting at me, but more mocking than anything.

“Well I couldn't very well let it go. Whether or not you ordered it, it was done.”

“So vengeful, caro.”

I chuckle, studying the sky full of stars, wondering how many light pollution covers.

“I run a Mob, Лисичка. Being vengeful comes with the territory.”

(Little fox)

The line crackles. “I want to meet up with you. As in, today. Are you free?”

“Come uccello.”

(As a bird.)

“You know I don't speak Italian.”

“I'm free.”

“Oh,” She adds causally, “Tell your second, Sunshine, that if he targets me again,”

Malice drips from her tone.

“I'm going to rip his heart out and shove it back down his throat. And see if I can't make it beat again.”

Swallowing harshly, I clenched my eyes closed, cursing that blonde son of a woman I'm still scared of.

“да. It will be done.”

(Yes. Or in this case, fine.)

“Molto bene. I'll send you the coordinates to the meeting place.”

(Very good)

STORMING INTO MY ESTATE, I FIND YURI. I'm gonna kill that blonde little s**t. I told him to leave her alone. f**k, I'd be doing him a goddamn favor if I killed him.

I don't have enough sway over her to keep him alive, I'm barely managing myself.

“Все получают хрен!”

(Everybody get the f**k out!)

The crowd in my large living room scatters immediately, including Yuri.

“Все, кроме Юрия.” I order, my eyes fixed on him.

(Everyone except Yuri.)

When the room has cleared, he stands, looking like a scolded child.

“задрота.” I grit out, trying not to murder him where he stands.

(i***t/Moron).

“Did I or did I not tell you to leave her alone?”

His gaze is fixed on the floor, but I am trained on him, the room several degrees colder.

“Да, но-”

(Yes, but—)

“There is no Да, но-. I told you to leave her alone. And because you went against a direct order, she's after your heart.”

He glanced up at me curiously.

“What?”

“She told me, to tell you, that if you target her again, she will rip your heart out, and shove it down your throat.”

He turned shades of white that could not be healthy.

“This could've been avoided. I told her I'd deal with it, but she is unpredictable, so now, I don't know if I will find you heartless.”

Fury, pure fury engulfs me. More f*****g problems for me. The room is filled with quiet sounds, the ticking of my clock, the rustling of the leaves outside.

That's how furious I am.

Taking out my pistol, I put a hole through his shoulder, being careful not to hit bone. He yelps, but other than that, makes no sound.

“That woman is barely safe enough for me to be around. And you wanna f*****g threaten her?!”

Other shoulder. Through and through. I rarely miss, if ever.

“Issues, Yuri! You are becoming a liability. I love you like a brother, but if you keep doing reckless s**t like this, I will put you ten feet under. Do you understand?”

He nods, his head down in shame. But I don't need shame. Shame doesn't do s**t for me. Shame won't f*****g fix this, I have to.

I am dangerous, but she is danger and it is not the same. I may be erratic, slightly impulsive, sadistic, and a whole bunch of other s**t, but I am smart.

A smart man knows to pick and choose his battles. To pick and choose his enemies. A foolish man believes because he is strong, he is stronger than everyone.

Doesn't work that way. Roksana is not an enemy to be had, I know that.

I also know, if she wanted to...she could probably erase my Family.

It would be bloody war, and everyone would take losses, but we would lose.

I don't just associate with her for her intelligence, or her body. I keep her around, so I can an eye on her.

Because I know she's keeping one on me.